10 Jun Change Mississippi’s Flag Now

JACKSON, Mississippi – A bipartisan group of Mississippi lawmakers is drafting a resolution to remove the Confederate emblem from the state flag. Vangela Wade, the president and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Justice, a non-profit focused on civil rights advocacy and litigation, issued the following response:

“Removing the Confederate emblem from our flag is long overdue, and lawmakers must move quickly to finally rid the state of this vestige of slavery,” Wade said. “The flag is a constant reminder of the pain and brutality of the systemic and institutionalized racism that has brutalized and dehumanized Black people in this country for over 400 years. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and we hope lawmakers of conscience from both parties will come together to ensure that our state won’t be represented by such violent imagery even one moment longer.”

“This resolution is an encouraging change. But we mustn’t let these small steps make us complacent. Mississippi is still plagued by deeply ingrained racist structures. We must keep fighting to dismantle racism across the state.”

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Mississippi Center for Justice is a nonprofit, public interest law firm committed to advancing racial and economic justice. Supported and staffed by attorneys and other professionals, the Center develops and pursues strategies to combat discrimination and poverty statewide.